Two of a Kind
by Azulastrasza
Summary: What if Azula was more like a modern day teenaged girl? During the Day of the Black Sun, Azula and Ozai have a conversation that makes Azula resent her father, and she leaves him behind. She 'joins' the Gaang. T for language. A tiny bit of canon pairings.
1. This Time Imperfect

**Title:**** This Time Imperfect**

**Rating/Warnings: ****T for a few strong curse words on Azula's part.**

**Summary:**** During the Day of the Black Sun Azula realizes, after a conversation with her father, that she was just his second wind, and all she did was get caught up in power. She never really meant anything to him, and all he ever did was lie. She tries to cope with this newfound hatred for the Firelord when Aang comes to her with a proposition.**

**Author's Notes:**** The title of this story and this chapter are songs that belong to AFI. I tried to keep Azula (and everyone else for that matter) in character whilst making her hate her father. This is another what if story. What if Azula was more like a modern day teenager? I was going to keep this rated K+, but I decided that Azula needed to let off some steam and bend the rules (Lolz puns). And I'm sorry if I fail at writing; I'm going to high school this month. Anyway, enough babbling. Let's do this thing.**

Aang let out a breath. "I'm ready to face the Firelord." He said, reassuring not only his friends, but also himself. He used airbending to throw the door open. As expected, Firelord Ozai was in the throne room. What wasn't expected was that Azula was too, but she was facing toward her father away from the door. Her posture was poor, and her head hung low.

"What? The Avatar? Azula, stop them!" Ozai shouted. Aang, Sokka and Toph fully expected Azula to comply, but she didn't. She just stared at the ground. No one spoke for a few moments. "What are you doing, fool?" Ozai growled at his daughter.

Slowly she looked up. "You lied. Six years down the drain, father. You lied." She quietly repeated.

"Yes, I lied. Get over it, Azula. That's not how I raised you. Ursa never actually cared about you anyway. There are other pressing matters, now obey your father and capture these enemies of the Fire Nation!"

Azula's fists clenched, and the words stung her. "No. Six _fucking _years of my life were worthless," She raised her voice, causing everyone to jump at the curse word. Sokka, Aang and Toph were visibly shocked by her strong language. "That's almost half of my entire life, father. Is that all I am to you? A joke? A tool? Some sort of fucking jester? I thought you had loved me. Now I see that I was wrong. I did everything for you. My every breath was in the name of the "amazing Firelord" and it was all for nothing. I'll let the Avatar kill you. After six years of hiding behind your daughter you're finally going to face judgement, you fucking coward." She turned, and without making any eye contact, she stormed out of the throne room, leaving a shocked Ozai, and our three heroes completely baffled. Unfortunately the guards came in and fought off Aang, Sokka and Toph while Ozai himself fled.

Azula had left the secret underground bunker, and was now in the open air of the capital city. Her stride was hurried and uneven, suggesting that she was troubled, which was of course true. Ozai had lied about _everything _to her. He lied about Mai, and Ty Lee, and Zuko, and Iroh, and Lu Ten, and Ursa, and Azulon, and even herself. He fed her noting but cruel lies since she was barely old enough to talk, and now she was smart enough to realize it. She was smart enough to realize that she too was as corrupt as her creator. Anger boiled her blood, but she looked up and saw the destruction of her own homeland. It called to her, pleading for her to protect her home, but she couldn't. Was this even her home, or was it another of Ozai's lies? She watched the moon's shadow free the sun, and she felt her firebending return to her. She felt the power manifest beneath her skin and burn at her fingertips. She knew that Aang hadn't killed her father. She knew it even more when she heard the Avatar and his friends slowly approach from behind.

"Azul-"

"I knew you were alive. I knew about this invasion. I regret telling _him _you know. It would have been better if he were dead." She saw the large shadows cast on the ground before she saw the airships that they belonged to. She knew they would charge the beach. "You need to retreat. Go back to your vehicles before the airships reach them." She didn't really know what manner of transportation they had arrived here in, but she knew that the airships would cut them down.

"Come with us." Aang said, surprising everyone there.

She shook her head. "You know what my answer will be, Avatar."

"We need you, and now that you're not with Ozai, you need us, and you know it," He slammed his staff into the ground, "I can put Ba Sing Se behind me if you can."

She sighed. What choice did she have? She could stay in the Fire Nation and be executed, retreat to Ba Sing Se and be thrown in prison, go to one of the Water Tribes and be sacrificed to whatever made-up god those primitives followed, or try to survive on her own; something she didn't have enough experience in. "Very well. Know this though, Avatar, I am not your friend, and I am not your ally. I have learned that by joining any faction I will always be betrayed in the end. I won't make that mistake again. My personal airship isn't as fast as your bison, but it can carry your entire army," She glanced to the skies and saw the airships dropping bombs, "If your soldiers haven't retreated yet, then that is their only hope of escape. I will take care of my crew, and prepare the ship for flight. Go." Without another word she disappeared down one of the streets. Aang nodded to her, though she was already long gone.

Sokka tilted his head. "Do you think she's serious?"

Aang sighed. "I hope so. She seemed legitimate enough. I just hope this doesn't backfire on us."

"Knowing Scorcho," Toph said in reference to Azula, "She'll put us back to square one."

**- Later -**

"Katara! We have to get out of here. Ozai got away." Aang said as he joined Hakoda and Katara.

"We can't, Aang... Those airships destroyed our ships." She pointed to the flaming wreckages of the submarines.

Aang grabbed her hand. "We found someone at the palace who is willing to help us escape. She has one of those airships."

Katara's eyes widened. "Really?"

At that moment, an ornate airship came around one of the bends and started lowering to the ground. A bright blue flare shot into the air before turning orange and fizzling out. "Don't attack that airship!" Aang shouted.

"No..." Katara said under her breath as she saw that unique fire that still haunted her dreams. "No," She said louder, "Aang! Please don't tell me that that's..."

"It is," He said calmly, "I know you don't want to trust her, and I don't either, but right now it's her or death."

"Yeah, um... is there a difference?" Sokka said with a sigh.

The airship landed, and the ramp lowered. Hakoda took a deep breath. "Alright everybody, listen up. Firelord Ozai got away this time, but he won't be so lucky next time. We've got a new weapon. Everyone retreat to that airship." The entire army pushed back firebenders and got onto the ship. A few firebenders slipped by, but those that did were quickly detained and thrown back. After nearly an hour everyone had boarded the ship, excluding Appa and Katara. Katara refused to go to Azula for help, and someone needed to fly Appa. Aang wanted to join her, but he knew that his priorities were with Azula. He had to know for a fact that this wasn't a mistake.

The airship took off. Everyone was so tightly packed that Aang could barely find who he was searching for- Sokka, who insisted that Hakoda come with them- before going to the cockpit, which also had a few chatting swamp waterbenders and Water Tribe men in it, who happened to annoy the hell out of a certain firebending ex-princess. "Hello, Azula." Aang said as he entered.

"Finally. I nearly died from boredom. Or perhaps it was the stench of these... muckbenders." She shuddered. Aang noted that it was the first time he had every seen her give off a physical sign of emotion. She never shrugged, or shook her head, or tapped her foot, and she very rarely crossed her arms or spoke with her hands.

"Well... they aren't technically 'muckbenders," He scratched his head, unsure of how to respond to that, "Um... anyways... A-Azula?" She grunted in response. "I know of a place nearby where we can go. It's big enough for the army, and it can hide every single one of us from the Fire Nation."

"Then lead the way." She let go of the controls and the ship lurched to one side.

"Gah!" Aang shouted and grabbed the wheel she had previously been holding and tried to right the ship. "Are you even supposed to fly this alone?" He shouted as he managed to get the ship going in the direction of the Western Air Temple.

"You aren't supposed to, but I don't usually listen to the rules. Why are you here, Avatar? Because I know you didn't bring your friends with you just to tell me where we were going." She eyed Hakoda, and Sokka.

"We... um..." Aang was too focused on attempting to fly the airship. _This is so much different than Appa!_ He thought in a panic. Azula pushed him aside and retook the controls.

"I have some questions for you," Sokka stated, "And I'm going to start off simple. Where is Suki?" He tried to sound intimidating. Azula laughed, her attention focused on the skies ahead.

"Don't think for a moment I won't start a fight up here. You may have your army, but I have nothing to lose," She watched Sokka's expression soften out of the corner of her eye, "Better. Your girlfriend's cowardly little warriors singled her out as the leader. They got sent off to some beach resort prison while Snookie got sent to Boiling Rock."

"It's Suki," He corrected, and ignored it when he heard Azula mutter a quiet 'whatever', "And what is Boiling Rock?"

"First class, top of the line Fire Nation prison. It's an island in the middle of a boiling lake," She said proudly, "Once you're in, you aren't getting out... unless of course you're a guard. It's quite coincidental that Mai's uncle runs the place."

Sokka brightened. "So it will be easy to get her out of there?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Where did you get _that _idea? I'm not the Princess anymore, genius, and Mai's uncle despises me with a passion. If anything it will be harder. Besides, what makes you think that I'd want to help the likes of you break out a dangerous-" She cut herself off and closed her eyes for a moment longer than a blink, and let out a slow breath. She had to calm down if she was going to get anywhere with these people. "If you really want to get her out of there, you will need an elaborate plan."

"But we have an entire _army," _Sokka pointed out the obvious, "Why don't we just storm the place?"

"Because, you fool, if you storm the prison you will be letting out more than just your little Sookie-"

"Suki!" He threw his arms up in exasperation.

"Right." She rolled her eyes, "If you use that _brilliant _idea, you will release thousands of prisoners. _Real _prisoners. These are rapists, murderers, enemies of the Fire Nation, and traitors. Trust me, they will find a way to get off the island. You will also face many casualties. The Fire Nation isn't afraid of bloodshed. You'll have to use a small, stealthly group of people. Two or three at _most._ It will be an arduous task, but patience is rewarding. Besides, why do you need her? She didn't put up much of a fight, you know."

Sokka seethed. "You have no soul."

"Who needs a soul when you've got firebending?" She said smugly, "All grudges aside- for now- I find that I must applaud whoever designed your little battle plan. Had I not known about the eclipse you'd have successfully killed us all." She loved the horrified expression that plastered itself on the Avatar's face once the words left her mouth. She quietly hummed, "I must've hit a nerve. You know, Aang, this entire world is based on death. You're born, you live, and you die; more often than not at the hands of another bigger person. There is no sugar-coating it, there is no hiding it. Death, murder, and violence is always inevitable-"

Before she could continue, Aang ran out of the room. Sokka glared daggers at Azula before running off to comfort his friend, leaving Hakoda behind. Azula grinned wickedly, completely ignoring the man behind her. The chief shook his head. He had raised two children, and he was a smart man. He knew that an outer force was making Azula this way. No one is born evil. He knew that Azula had to have had a troubled history, what with Ozai as her father. He wanted to ask about it, but he thought better of it. The last thing he needed was a pissed off, hormonal, sociopathic teenager with the ability to burn someone from the inside out on his ass five kilometers in the air. He slowly approached her. "Do you need any help?" He asked as he watched her take the job of three pilots at once.

She eyed him suspiciously. No one ever _offered_ to help unless they wanted something from you, but Hakoda didn't look like the sneaky type. "I don't _need _anyone's help... but it's better than having you stand around and be useless, so I suppose I will permit you to assist me."

Hakoda resisted the urge to laugh. _Yep... typical teenager._


	2. Bitter for Sweet

**Title:**** Bitter for Sweet**

**Rating/Warnings:**** K**

**Summary:**** Azula's feeling a bit like Mai, and although she's begining to let her guard down it doesn't mean she still isn't her usual hot-headed self. Boredom can make people agree to do silly things.**

**Author Notes:**** The title of this chapter is a song that belongs to Blaqk Audio. In celebration of me officially becoming a freshman, here is chapter two. Please review and let me know if I made any mistakes. I noticed the epic fail mistake in my summary. How embarrassing.**

Night had fallen. The moon was out, and the stars resembled splattered white paint on a black canvas. The airship looked awkward and out of place as it slowly lowered into the chasm that the Western Air Temple hung precariously over. The temples were ancient, and despite being eroded they still looked magnificent. However, Azula wasn't really concerned with what they looked like. She was more concerned with not crashing into it. The winds were erratic, and once she thought she had the ship under control she sheared off a side of one of the hanging temples. Thankfully, Hakoda was there to prevent further damage, but Azula paid no mind to him. As far as she was concerned he was just a useless little peasant warrior. The ramp was lowered, and Azula haughtily marched out, receiving everything from a questioning glance to a hateful glare from the passengers. Katara scowled. She watched the firebender out of the corner of her eye as she removed Appa's armor. She knew that nothing good could possibly come from that girl. To her, Azula was the physical embodiment of evil, destruction and anger. She would have to ask Aang about why Azula was even with them later.

The rest of the soldiers poured out of the airship. They began setting up camp, and gathering together what little supplies that they could, while Azula kicked her feet up, and inspected the flawless daggers that she called nails. She appeared completely oblivious to Aang's presence. "Hey, Azula?" Aang asked. He was growing more accustomed to saying that name.

She sighed. "What do you want, Avatar?" Her words came out as more of a statement than a question.

"I was wondering if you could help us set up a few campfires... you know... since you're the only firebender?" He suddenly felt very bashful.

She made a thoughtful sound. "Fine. Setting something on fire is always good stress relief." She lazily stood to her feet.

Aang wondered how someone as lazy as her could be so fit. _Oh right... chasing me. _He watched her start a small blue fire to a stack of wood and cloth that some soldiers had thrown together. She sat cross-legged by the fire and stared at it as it faded to orange. "I've been meaning to ask you something, Azula." He said as he joined her.

"Oh? Another menial request?"

"No," He said, "It's important."

"Then ask away, Avatar."

"Okay, but first can you please stop calling me Avatar? I have a name," He paused, "I know you said we weren't friends, but it would at least ease some of the tension in the air." Azula just barely nodded her head. He wouldn't have noticed it had the campfire not cast fine shadows over her features. He wondered if she did that often. He would need to pay more attention. "I know that this is asking a lot from you, and I know that today was very rough, so it's okay if you don't have an immediate answer, but," He gathered his courage and took a deep breath, "I was wondering if you would be so kind as to teach me firebending."

Azula began laughing as if he had just told her and amazing joke. Then she stopped when she saw the look in his eyes. Her face turned serious. "No. I might hate Firelord Ozai, but I am no traitor to my nation."

"This won't be treason. You will be helping your nation in the long run." He knew that that wouldn't be enough to convince the stoic girl. She was a manipulator, and a liar. The only way to get her to do as you said would be a challenge. She would never turn down a challenge. "I thought you were the strongest firebender I know, and I had the scars to prove it. But maybe I overestimated you. I guess you just aren't strong enough to be my teacher." He shrugged.

Azula went stiff as a board. "You think 'I'm not strong enough?'" She said in a mocking tone.

Aang felt bad doing this to her, okay not really, but he knew he had no choice. "I mean if you were half the firebender you pretend to be then I'm sure teaching me firebending would be a cinch. Unless of course you're all bark and no bite."

"Oh, I'll show you _bite!" _She jumped to her feet and without any warning she sent a flurry of attacks at Aang. Aang watched every move of hers and stored them away in his memory. She dropped low to the ground and twirled her legs, sending a cyclone of fire at the boy. He scattered the fire with a blast of wind, and hopped over the next wave of flames. A group of nearby warriors, as well as Chief Hakoda, noticed the scuffle. Hakoda unsheathed his weapon and sprinted to the scene. He came up from behind Azula and easily detained her. She may have been a powerful firebender, but her physical strength was no match against Hakoda's. She growled, and knew that she should've burnt the man behind her to a crisp, but then she stopped fighting his grip as a realization dawned on her. The Avatar, a twelve year old little pacifist, had just tricked her! He tricked her into fighting him! That little...

"Thank you, Sifu Azula. The first lesson went well, but perhaps next time you should try less on killing me, and more on teaching me." He left before the stunned girl could respond.

"I swear to _Agni,_" She shouted, "I am going to murder you for this!" Hakoda released the firebender, giving a bewildered glance at her. "What are you looking at?" She hissed through clenched teeth. With a childish huff she walked back to the stationary airship. She wouldn't sink so low as to sleep within six yards of any of those peasants.

Morning came quickly. Azula really didn't want to wake up. She cursed her internal clock. Not ten minutes later did Hakoda come to wake her up. "Azula?"

"Five more minutes..."

"I'm afraid that we don't have five more minutes," Hakoda explained, "Aang and the others are gathered to plan our next move. You'll need to be there."

Azula, now more awake, responded, "What part of not being his ally did that twerp of an Avatar not understand?"

Hakoda sighed. "We need your insight. As much as you don't want to believe it, you're our best military tactician."

"You're stupid if you think you can make another strike at the Firelord right after an attack. The guards are probably on high alert, and I bet you two hundred gold pieces that my father isn't even in the capital anymore."

"We weren't planning on another attack on the Firelord." With that, he left. He knew that the natural curiosity of the teen would force her to attend their meeting.

And he was right. All eyes fell on the princess as she approached the group that consisted of Aang, Sokka, Katara, Hakoda, and Toph. "What then?" She grunted, almost wishing she'd stayed at the palace.

"We need to get Suki out of Boiling Rock." Sokka said bluntly.

"And we need to find a safe place for all of these soldiers. We can't stay here forever, and we're low on supplies." Katara said.

Azula wanted nothing to do with this, but it would seem she was stuck with them. "Fine. Send your soldiers home. Suki will be more difficult."

"What about my firebending training?" Aang asked in excitement.

Azula stared at him for a moment. "Keep dreaming." Aang hung his head.

"You said that we would need two or three people to go into Boiling Rock. You're the only one who knows anything about that place-" Azula cut Sokka off, seeing where he was going with that statement.

"I said that _you _will need a small group of two or three people. I never said that I would be a part of that group."

Sokka didn't like asking this firebender for help, but he needed to save Suki. He needed Suki! Suki was the only thing that made it possible to say what he said next. "Please, Azula. You're my only chance at this."

"Since you are pleading me so pathetically, and I have absolutely nothing better to do, I'll think about it. I don't understand why this was so pressing that you needed to wake me. And is it too much to ask for something to eat around here?" She wandered off, no doubt in search of breakfast.

"Aang... do you really trust her?" Katara asked the boy once the firebender was out of an earshot.

"No," He quietly admitted, "But she was our most powerful enemy, and imagine what could happen if we made her our friend. She is the strongest firebender I've ever met, and she has those blue flames to prove it. She would no doubt make an excellent teacher. One day I want her to trust us, and I know we can't achieve that if we don't give her our trust-"

"Hang on!" Toph said, "Give her _our _trust? We did that last night by sleeping within a mile of the psychopath. If that isn't trust then what is?"

"Toph has a point," Sokka agreed, "But that brings up another problem." He tapped his chin.

"What's that?" Katara asked.

"Someone needs to keep an eye on her. Last night could've been extremely dangerous. It was stupid to leave ourselves so exposed like that." He answered.

"Count me out." Toph said quickly.

"You make it sound like she's a rabid wolf-bat." Hakoda noted.

"She is." His daughter sighed.

**- Azula -**

Azula had eaten her breakfast, which was dried fruit rations. It wasn't roast duck, but it was better than nothing. Now she was exploring the outer halls. She had never had absolutely no priorities, and now that she had free time she didn't have anyone to spend it with. That's when she saw it. A Fire Nation war balloon. Her eyes narrowed. Surely it was one of father's scouts.

_Let them come,_ She thought, _We will be long gone. _She headed back to the camp. If she agreed to help Sokka, then she could be out of here faster. She wouldn't tell them about the balloon.

"-But then what? If you manage to get in, how will you get out?" Katara asked her brother.

Azula didn't care whether she was interrupting or not. "Okay, peasant boy. I will help you get your girlfriend out of Boiling Rock. Get those soldiers on the airship and get them out of here. That airship sticks out like a sore thumb. You and I will take the bison to Boiling Rock."

"Shouldn't we bring a third person?" Sokka asked.

"The chances of being detected are higher." She said calmly.

"But what if something goes wrong?"

"Then your sacrifice was not in vain." She joked. No one laughed. She was never that good with humor.

"I'll go with you." Hakoda volunteered.

"Dad!" Katara shouted, "We just got back together after five years, and you're going to run the risk of being captured by sneaking into a Fire Nation prison? With _her _nonetheless!" She pointed accusingly at Azula, who kept a cool exterior the entire time.

Hakoda put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Katara, I promise that I won't get captured. Azula knows what she's doing." He said, but he wasn't so sure he believed it himself. Katara sighed in defeat.

"Fine... but if you don't come back by tomorrow I'm coming after you." Katara fought back tears.

Azula scoffed. "Drama."


	3. Start the Fire

**Title:**** Start the Fire**

**Rating/Warnings:**** T for a bit of violence, probably not enough to be considered T. I suck at writing fight scenes :**

**Summary:**** What was originally a simple rescue mission turns into something far more for our favorite firebending female, and even those around her.**

**Author Notes:**** The title of this chapter is a song that belongs to No Doubt. Thank you so much for all the reviews :D It spurred me on to right this chapter much faster than I originally intended. I hope I've introduced some people to some new music, too. Before I can do the next chapter though I need to re-watch one of the Avatar episodes (I'm sure you can all guess which one after reading this chapter). Some of you are probably wondering what happened to the Dai Li in this story, and I can't really come up with a lame excuse right now, but maybe I can somehow find a way to incorporate them? *Shrugs* I know my Boiling Rock isn't one hundred percent accurate to the cartoon, but personally Zuko and Sokka made it too easy looking in the cartoon. And for some reason my review notifications aren't popping up. Come to think of it, none of them are. Once again, thank you for all the awesome reviews :3 They make me happy beyond words.**

**Rioshix First off, thanks so much for being my first reviewer in the history of all histories :D. You're on the right track with the sun warrior guys ;). And for me my first day of High School is on 8/29, but registration was 8/19. I'm not quite sure when school is out, but it'll probably be in late May or early June.**

The moon was high in the sky. Azula, Sokka, and Hakoda chose to go to Boiling Rock during the night as not to be seen. It would be difficult reaching the prison in the darkness, but Azula was very familiar with its location.

"It was annoying enough getting Suki in there. I can't believe I'm going to be undoing all of my hard work." Azula sat back against Appa's saddle. Hakoda sat opposite of her. Although she sounded upset, Azula's face remained passive.

Sokka's eye twitched as he held the sky bison's reins. Every time that accursed firebender opened her mouth something extremely aggravating was sure to follow. Thankfully, he could see the prison lit up by hundreds of torches in the distance. It was only a few minutes away.

They had to find a way to hide Appa from view once they arrived at the prison, which ultimately led to him hiding behind a large rock formation on the inner part of the island. The steam from the boiling water had made everyone sweaty and sticky, and it was an overall unpleasant experience. It was almost too humid for the poor bison, whose now wet fur smelled something awful.

"We'll have to move quickly," Hakoda said as they stood by the shore, only yards from the scalding lake, "Appa can't stay hidden here forever. He has no food or water which could end very badly with this heat."

Azula cocked her hips. "Or we could stay all night. I wonder how a nice, juicy bison steak tastes."

Appa groaned. Sokka and Hakoda were now used to her cynical sense of 'humor' and sarcasm. "So what's the plan?"

Azula looked up towards the gondola platform. "We will need to do this without raising any suspicions. We must go incognito. Boiling Rock has high security during both night and day, and there are constant patrols," Azula seemed to think a moment, "However, if the schedules haven't been changed from the last time I was here, they will change shifts at approximately midnight, which shouldn't be too long from now. At that point we will 'procure' some guard outfits and sneak into the barracks. From then we will need to find the prisoner files. It will tell you exactly what cell Suki is in. They often move prisoners to different cells to avoid any chances of escape."

"Doesn't that make it harder to keep tabs on the prisoners?" Sokka asked.

"Under most circumstances, yes. There has been confusion in the past, but nothing severe." A split second after Azula finished speaking a horn was blown. The low sound reverberated within the basin, and scared the bison out of his wits. Sokka managed to keep him calm. "That was the midnight horn. Now is our chance." Azula started climbing the side of the rocks, with Hakoda and Sokka following shortly behind her. As Azula had predicted, the guards started to return to the barracks to switch shifts. Azula spotted an unlucky group of guards- all three were male- and she distracted them by creating a small pillar of flame. Sure enough, it attracted the attention of the guards, and they flocked towards it.

_Like moths to the flame, _Azula thought with a wicked smirk. "Go!" She quietly hissed at Hakoda and Sokka. All three of them rushed at the unsuspecting guards. Azula jumped on one's back, and pulled off his helmet. While he spun in circles like a fly with one wing, Azula hit him hard in the back of his head with her armored elbow, instantly knocking him unconscious. Hakoda used his club to bash one at the base of the skull, which also knocked him out. Sokka, who was having trouble with taking out his guard, resorted to putting him in a headlock while his father put a cloth in his mouth and tied the guard's arms behind his back. The other two were tied up, and all three were hidden off the side of the inner island.

"By the time they call for help we will be gone." Azula said as they were putting on the guards' uniforms. The large uniform was baggy on Azula's small frame, but Hakoda and Sokka fit perfectly in theirs. "Hurry." They snuck into the barracks, being completely overlooked by the other guards. There were multiple copies of the prisoner files, but they were only kept in the highest ranking guard offices. They had to sift through hundreds documents in a large box in one of the officer's rooms. When finally they found a copy, they exited to the courtyard to read it. Azula started a tiny flame at the tip of her finger for Sokka to read the files. They were kept in numerical order, so Sokka scanned it for any names similar to Suki's.

"Sun Jiang... Suzume... Here it is, Suki! She's being kept in cell 28B!" He tried to run off, but Azula clamped her hand down on his shoulder.

"You aren't very good at being inconspicuous, are you?" She said in exasperation. They walked at a regular pace to cell block B and walked down the halls.

"Hey! What are you doing in here? Aren't you supposed to be on patrol?" A guard and his partner ran towards them.

"The warden sent us to check on one of the prisoners." Sokka said far too quickly. Azula resisted the urge to slap him.

"Yeah right. You're coming with me." The guard reached out to take Sokka by the arm.

"I don't think so," Azula decided to play along with Sokka sad fib, "Once the warden finds out that you prevented us from completing out task... well let's just say it won't be very pretty."

"Wait a minute, Lu..." Said the guard's female partner, "I know that voice." Azula looked composed, but inside her heart was racing a million miles an hour. The guard stared her right in the eye for a solid thirty seconds. In that time, Sokka began profusely sweating, and Hakoda shifted uncomfortably. "They're frauds!" She suddenly shouted. "I need some backup in here!" She yelled and got into a firebending stance. Azula was familiar with the stance, and was prepared for it when the guard let out a lash of fire at her. She raised her arms and deflected the blow, but was completely stunned when she felt the flames lick her hand and burn her.

"Go!" Azula growled, "Get Suki!" The guard gripped her shoulder, and she pushed the guard back. While Hakoda stayed to help Azula, Sokka had sprinted down the hall and found Suki's cell. He fumbled with the keys on his belt only to realize that the door didn't need keys. On the inside it was locked, on the outside it wasn't. It was like a giant child safety lock. He pulled the door open. Suki had heard the shouts and clashing metal, and was prepared for a fight. She tackled Sokka to the ground the moment the door had opened.

"Suki, it's me, Sokka!" He pulled his helmet off. Suki looked happy for only a moment, and placed a quick kiss on his lips, but when she saw two guards attacking another one and Azula, that happiness was replaced with bewilderment. Another squad of four guards had arrived. "Azula's helping us. The guard defending her is my father." With that brief statement, Sokka stood to his feet and returned to the fight club in hand.

Suki had joined the fight as well, despite her distrust of the ex-princess. She noticed that Azula wasn't using her firebending. "Get out of here!" Azula said. Her three companions were hesitant, but eventually obeyed, and retreated back to the courtyard. "A little parting gift!" Azula grinned. She raised her arms, separated the positive and negative chis within her, calmed her breathing, thrust two fingers forward, and was rewarded with absolutely nothing. She only had a moment to be surprised because a sword cut through the air and plunged into her back. She didn't have time to register the immense pain in her chest and upper back. She elbowed the guard behind her in the stomach, and tried to create a flame. Nothing but a feeble puff of smoke came out of her hand. She looked down at her hand in horror, and then back up at the guard racing straight for her, mace in hand. Then multiple things happened within the course of three seconds. Hakoda rammed his shoulder into the guard while simultaneously pushing Azula to the ground. Six guards surrounded the warrior. He pulled the injured girl from the ground, threw her over his shoulder, and ran out of there as fast as his legs could carry him.

Azula's eyes began to close. Black dots swarmed her vision. She was vaguely aware of the different voices around her, but they sounded muffled and far away. The back of her head hurt, and her chest hurt, and she was dizzy. Finally she gave in, and her world was no more.


	4. Daddy's Little Defect

**Title:**** Daddy's Little Defect**

**Rating/Warnings:**** T for mild language and a very immature joke.**

**Summary:**** "Who needs a soul when you've got firebending?" For Azula, it was always one or the other. It's time for an attitude change.**

**Author Notes:**** The title of this chapter is a song that belongs to Sugarcult. In response to my reviews (which are like crack to me) Azula didn't die, she just got K.O'd. Zuko (and Mai and Ty Lee) will indeed be in this story at one point. And to the anonymous reviewer (who probably won't even read this) thank you for the feedback, and sorry that the cursing spoiled it for you, but she was just pissed off after learning that her father was using her. I know that the temple was really far away so Azula probably would've died from blood loss, but she's Azula. She can't die! And because I had to put Azula in Zuko's place in this chapter, writing the conversation about her firebending was very tough because she does NOT share her feelings with people, unlike her brother. Not to try and sound over-confident (because believe me when I say I have no confidence), but I'm kind of proud of how it turned out, considering how many errors that could've (and probably have) happened in that conversation. Towards the end I got lazy and stole a few lines right out of the show. This chapter is kind of short-ish, and it's pretty much just dialogue, but I planned on making the next one longer. **

The first thing Azula was aware of was a dull, throbbing pain in her chest and the back of her head. It hurt to breathe, and she swore she could feel her heart bump against her ribcage with each beat. She slowly opened her eyes to find that everything was blurred. She bit back the pain and pulled herself into a sitting position. She was back at the temple, and it was early morning. She rubbed her eyes, clearing her vision. No one else was around, and it was dead silent.

"You're awake," Azula heard a voice. She glanced in the direction of that voice to find herself looking up at Chief Hakoda, "We made it back to the temple in time for Katara to heal you, which was a surprise considering just how much blood you had lost. You're very lucky. The sword missed your heart by inches, but you hit your head when I pushed you to the ground." He paused as he looked at Azula's confused face, "If you're wondering why it's so quiet, the soldiers were sent home on the airship. How are you feeling?" He asked.

Azula glanced down at her chest. Her cowl had been removed, as well as the rest of the upper uniform. Instead, she wore bloodied bandages. She still wore the guard trousers and boots. "Did you _really _have to ask?" She groaned. What troubled her the most was not the pain, which she could easily ignore, but the fact that her firebending refused to work the previous night. _Maybe I'm sick. Yes... that must be it. _

She tried to stagger to her feet, but much to her dismay Hakoda had to help her. "Be careful. Katara closed off the wound to ward off infection, but she couldn't completely heal the deeper injuries. You could cause internal bleeding if you move too much."

"I'll keep that in mind." She said.

"Something is upsetting you," He furrowed his brows, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing!" She unintentionally yelled, and pulled her hand away. She nearly toppled over. Her dizziness refused to fade.

Hakoda let out a drawn-out sigh. "You know Azula, if you never tell people how you feel then they will never be able to help you."

"That's fine, because I don't need help from anyone. _Especially _from the likes of you."

"It's okay to need someone's help once in a while-"

"Anyone who needs to rely on another person is weak." She turned away. She had heard that from her father, and instantly regretted quoting him.

"And the people who don't end up bitter and alone for the rest of their lives." The warrior held his arm out for the girl to take. She stared at him for a moment before relenting and hooking her arm around his. Hakoda supported her as they headed back to the others. Sokka, Toph, Aang, and Katara were sitting in a circle and eagerly chatting with Suki, who no longer looked so surprised to see Azula.

The captain of the Kyoshi Warriors stood and gave a small salute to Azula. "Thank you for breaking me out of that wretched place."

"Even though you were the one to put her there in the first place." Toph murmured.

Azula ignored the earthbender. "Wretched? I was hoping you would have enjoyed your accommodations a tad more." She sat cross-legged a few feet away from their circle.

Suki wasn't really affected by the raven-haired girl's personality. Aang had a smile on his lips. "So when do you think you will feel better, Sifu Azula."

Azula pinched her nose-bridge at the title Aang had given her. "I'm not teaching you firebending. I... I can't." It pained her to admit that.

"Sure you can! You're the best firebender out there... Right?"

"Perhaps you misunderstood me. I _can't. _I am literally unable to teach you." She let the words sink in to her companions. "Last night at the prison," She began, "I couldn't create my fire, or even lightening."

Katara snorted. "What a coincidence," She flicked her wrist, "Now we finally find a firebender to teach Aang, and she "can't"firebend."

"You think I'm lying, peasant?" Azula raised her voice. Both girls stood to their feet and got into a fighting stance, Katara opened her water skin. "Perhaps you would like proof?" Azula thrust her palm out. Katara raised her arms and a thick sheet of ice protected her from the fire that was sure to come. However, from Azula's hand came a small spark, a pitiful puff of smoke, and a quiet hissingsound. Azula scoffed, but mostly at herself. "If I had my firebending do you think that those bottom of the barrel guards could've even touched me? Even without it, had I not been so caught off guard?" Azula calmed down after a moment, and plopped back down with a sigh. "I don't know why it's so... pathetic." She seemed deep in thought, and no one spoke. "Perhaps it's because I left father."

Aang's eyebrows knitted together. "What do you mean?"

"A long time ago my firebending teachers, Lo and Li, told me about something called 'drive'-"

Sokka snickered, "Sorry, sorry..."

"Not _that _kind of drive, you moron!" Azula growled, "A firebender needs a drive; some sort of inspiration to firebend. My one goal in life was always to impress my father, so that one day he could entrust me with the throne. When I left my father-"

"You abandoned your goal." Aang finished.

"Right, but that doesn't make any sense," She put her chin in her hand, "I have a new goal. I have to defeat father to get his throne. So... what then?"

"Do you feel different than before you left your father?" Suki inquired.

This was something Azula had to think about. She didn't really want to share it with them, after all they weren't friends, right? Or maybe they were. They were definitely no longer enemies. She had thought of them as just temporary companions, but it seemed that Chief Hakoda was right. She would need their help if she ever wanted to defeat her father. Especially without her firebending. "Yes."

"Well?" Suki persisted.

Azula felt like she was in a therapy session. "I feel... lesser."

"You left a part of yourself behind." Hakoda said.

In that one moment of weakness-that she promised she would never feel again- she opened up. "I always had this fire inside of me. I could feel it. I could bring it out in the form of firebending. That fire is gone."

"Then it's not a physical impairment," Suki said, "You don't feel right inside. You've lost the emotional support that you had to guide your firebending."

Azula gave her a look that conveyed her exact thoughts. _So now what the hell am I supposed to do?_

As if the earthbender could read her mind she said, "You need to find a new source of your firebending then. Whatever your previous source was just isn't cutting it. Maybe you can draw firebending from the original source."

"How's she supposed to do that? By jumping into a volcano?" Sokka joked.

"No. She needs to go back to whatever the original source of firebending is." Toph explained.

"So... is it jumping into a volcano?"

"I dunno. For earthbending, the original benders were badgermoles. I met them one day when I was little. We were both blind so we sort of understood each other. I learned my earthbending from them as not only a martial art, but an extension of my senses."

"That's amazing Toph. I learned from the monks, but the original airbenders were the sky bison," Aang leaned over and said to his bison, "Maybe you can give me a lesson one day, buddy."

The bison bellowed in response.

Azula sighed. "Well that's just freaking fantastic. The dragons are all dead."

"Huh?" Aang asked, "What happened to them? One hundred years ago they were everywhere. Avatar Roku had one, and so did Firelord Sozin."

"That," She said, "Was a century ago. Firelord Sozin thought it would be a bright idea to kill them for sport. If you could defeat a dragon you were an amazing firebender. How do you think my fat old uncle got his title: Dragon of the West? He killed off the last one."

"You don't sound too happy about the deaths of the dragons." Katara pointed out.

"I'm not. Don't get me wrong, dominating a dragon in combat would be absolutely thrilling, not to mention satisfying, but at the same time we _need _them. The dragons were the best firebenders, and therefore the best firebending teachers. Their lessons were legendary. The first people that they entrusted with their firebending were the Sun Warriors, and just look at how they thrived. Unfortunately, they too died out long ago. In fact, the ruins aren't far from here."

"If the dragons are gone, and the Sun Warriors are the next best thing, maybe you can see if you can find anything at the ruins?" Aang suggested.

"Perhaps an ancient scroll or tablet. I suppose it's worth a try. What more can I possibly lose?"

"And maybe if I go with you I can learn some firebending, too." Aang grinned from ear to ear.

Azula stared blankly at him. _Today is going to be a very long day._


	5. Walking on the Sun

**Title:**** Walking on the Sun**

**Rating/Warnings:**** K+**

**Summary:**** Azula and Aang get to the ruins to find that they aren't alone. Can Azula make it through the day without murdering someone?**

**Author Notes:**** I'm pretty sure everyone knows that this chapter title is a song by Smashmouth. I spent a lot of time on this chapter. This one is sort of late-ish. I'm taking care of my sister's four kittens (bottle-feeding them and cleaning their pee) while she's at work, so as of late I'm not getting much sleep, so do tell me if there are mistakes. I'm trying to make it seem that Azula is growing more comfortable with Aang and the others, but she's still herself. And she still kind of hurts from the injury she got at Boiling Rock.**

The wind raked through Appa's fur while he flew to the Sun Warrior ruins. Azula and Aang were silent most of the flight. Any of Aang's attempts at conversation were shot down. The ex-princess had changed back into her royal uniform, and looked like her regular self. Appa cleared over a mountain, and the vast city was sprawled out before them. Despite the fact that the streets have been empty for centuries, the place seemed alive.

"Whoa..." Aang breathed.

Azula's expression remained impassive, and although she would never openly admit it, she felt a strange form of reverence for the ancient city. Upon landing, the unlikely duo began their journey toward the heart of the city. They walked side by side, Aang with his staff in hand. Azula knew that if there was something to be found, it would be at the tallest temple. She didn't study history at the academy for nothing. Along the way she was scanning the area for something- anything- that could somehow help them with their firebending. Of course the only thing to be seen was the dilapidated stones that paved the streets, but Azula was a persistent girl. Then suddenly her hand shot out and seized the boy by the shoulder. She halted her stride, and held Aang still.

"What is it?" He asked.

"A trap." She released the boy's collar, and knelt down on one knee. Then Aang saw it too. A thick black cord stretching over the ground. Azula pressed her hand to the beyond the cord, and then to the stone she stood on. She felt no difference in the ground. Then she looked at the walls on either side of them. She didn't see anything malicious. A quick backward glance confirmed that there was nothing behind them. "Let's keep going." She stepped over the cord, and Aang followed suit.

"How did you see that, Azula?" He asked.

"One of the more important aspects of combat is deception. Traps, feints, and trickery included. I know what to keep an eye out for. There will probably be more." She said, though it didn't entirely answer his question. Of course she would never tell him that her father made sure her training sessions and classes were focused on not only close quarters combat, but how to deceive her enemies and allies alike. Not only that, but one picks up on those traits after living with Firelord Ozai for fourteen years. After a moment of silence, she spoke again. "But that raises a question. Who else is here? That cord wouldn't still be intact after thousands of years." Upon hearing those words, Aang became frightened. Azula tried not to laugh at him. "Relax, would you? It's probably just an aspiring archeologist who doesn't like to share in the glory of a find."

"Yeah..." Aang said.

They continued their trek, and eventually made it to the center temple. After climbing a massive staircase, they found the most curious design carved into the wall. Two dragons on either side of a Sun Warrior blew fire at him, forming what appeared to be a shell around him.

"Hey," Aang said, "This looks promising," He walked up closer, "But weren't the dragons and Sun Warriors friends? Why are they attacking him?"

Azula's eyes narrowed. "They aren't fighting. Look," She pointed toward the center of the design, "The fire never touches him, and his stance isn't aggressive."

"What does it mean then?"

"I'm not sure. We can come back later to decipher it. Right now we need to keep looking." She started walking away. Aang, still caught up in the strange carving, noticed that she was leaving, and ran after her. She walked along a stone catwalk that towered above the city and connectedto another temple.

"Why did Sozin want to fight them?" Aang asked, "The dragons, I mean."

"How would I know? It's like there is a big gap in the Fire Nation history that no one knows about. There aren't many historical documents on Sozin's rule except for how he conquered his enemies and how amazing he was. After all, only those who survive can tell the story, and they tell it how they want it. Of course they'd glorify him." She scoffed.

"You don't like Sozin?" Aang quietly inquired.

"No. I used to. I used to think of him as an amazing person. A god amongst man, just like father. And now I see that he was a fool. Imagine," She let the word out as a breath, "Riding into the battle on the back of a dragon. And he had to go and get them killed. It matters little. What's done is done."

"What's that?" Aang spotted something and ran ahead of her. When she caught up she saw him trying to pry open two large golden doors that formed a circle. At the top was a deep crimson sun orb. Azula looked over her shoulder, and sure enough was the obelisk with another similar stone within a golden beetle at the top. The light shined through it and cast a red glow on another circle, though this one was on the ground.

Azula put her hands on her hips. "A celestial calendar. I've never seen one in person, but I've read enough about them. On the summer solstice the light will hit that sun stone and the doors will open."

"What?" Aang threw his arms into the air, "We can't wait _that _long!"

Without a word, Azula tore off part of Aang's sash, wiped dirt off of her arm guards, and used the shiny metal to redirect the light from the obelisk to the sun stone. She then threw the torn cloth back at Aang and entered the room as the golden doors slowly slid ajar. Aang looked at the article of cloth in his hand, at the retreating ex-princess, back at the cloth, and then tossed it aside and followed her. "Interesting." She said as she gazed upon the tall statues. "This is one of the few things I _haven't _read about."

Aang regarded the statues with an intrigued look. While Azula inspected the statues from the center of the room, he noted, he stood in front of one of the many statues that surrounded them. The statue was in a strange pose with his arms outstretched, one of his legs held high, and the other firmly planted on the ground. Aang set down his staff, and bent down to read the words engraved at the base of the statue. "The Dance of the dragon" it said. Aang reciprocated the statues pose, and a stone beneath his foot sank beneath his weight. His eyes widened, and he did the next form. Once again a stone gave way. He sprinted back to Azula, and dragged her to one of the statues while saying, "Azula, come dance with me!"

Azula stared at him.

"Look at the statues! When I imitated it something weird happened." He didn't go into details, but Azula noticed that the statues were in some sort of pattern.

"Don't you dare tell anyone." She muttered with a sigh, and put her feet in the correct position in front of the first statue. Aang did the same from the other side of the room.

"Go!" He said, and so they did. They executed each form perfectly, one after the other. It did look like some sort of dance, but Azula knew better. It was a firebending form. Firebending was based on breathing, agility, and focus of mind. Firebending in itself was practically dancing. When they finished, their fists met, and the sound of stone scraping against stone was heard. They both turned to the center of the room. An elaborate pedestal ascended from a gap in the ground.

They both cautiously approached it. "What is it?"

"A gemstone of sorts." She said.

Aang slowly reached out, and then retracted his hand. "I don't want to touch it in case it's rigged."

"Finally," She tried to sound exhausted, "He uses his head. As much as I'd like to stay and figure out what that is, it's too dangerous." She started leaving. Aang ran to grab his staff. What happened next was unforeseen by both Azula, and Aang. The torn part of Aang's sash caught on the side of the golden egg atop the pedestal, and brought it spiraling to the ground. Aang reached out and caught the egg. A greenish black sludge sprayed out of the ground around the pedestal before seeping out in a steady stream. The doors slammed shut. Azula glared at the boy. "What have you done?" She hissed through clenched teeth. Aang dropped the egg and grabbed his staff. Azula hurriedly searched the room for means of escape. "There!" She pointed towards a grate on the ceiling directly above the pedestal. It was now covered in the sludge. Aang saw it, and bent the air around him to launch him on top of one of the statues. Azula got a running start on one of the walls, and flipped onto a statue's shoulder. Aang easily jumped from the statue's head and onto the grate. His feet and one of his hands were held steady. He held out his other hand. Azula, with a running start, leapt through the air and grabbed Aang's hand before pulling herself against the grate. Both of them tried to open it only to realize they were stuck. "Oh for the love of Agni!" She growled. The sludge rose faster, and pushed them painfully against the grate. Then, abruptly as it began, it stopped. "Why did you touch it?" She shouted.

"I didn't! My sash got snagged. Maybe if you hadn't ripped it we wouldn't be in this mess." He shot back.

"Oh now it's _my _fault?" She snapped.

Aang slowly exhaled through his nose. "Blaming each other won't bring us any closer to getting out of here."

The feel of the sludge on her skin brought an unpleasant memory back to the girl. "This is worse than that time the drill exploded."

"Agreed," Aang said, "And that was bad enough." He laughed, and then stopped upon realizing just how far the girl beside him had come. "Since we're going to be here for a while, we should probably think about a way to get out."

Azula, for once in her life, had no solutions. "Are airbending, waterbending, and earthbending out of the question? That silly king from Omashu could bend earth with his face."

"I'm not sure. I could try, but he is a much better earthbender than me." Aang struggled in the sludge and jerked his head upwards. "Nope. Nothing."

Azula pursed her lips. "Looks like we'll be here for a while," And then as an afterthought, "The last thing I need right now is a sunburn."

**- Hours Later -**

"Help!" Aang called for at least the fiftieth time in three hours.

"I don't think calling to ghosts is going to get us out of here."

"We're literally at a standstill, and nothing is working... Help!"

"If, by chance, someone happens to stumble upon us, I doubt they'll be friendly."

"You never know." He smiled.

"You put too much trust in others."

Azula spotted a figure off to the side. "Who's down there?" It asked.

After at least another hour of draining the room of the unpleasant sludge, Aang and Azula had been brought outside of the room, and now sat before the group of people that the girl once thought dead. Anteater sloths licked the sludge from their skin and clothes, much to the chagrin of Azula.

The chief stood in front of them, trying to appear intimidating. "What thieves think themselves so bold as to trespass on _our _homeland and attempt to make off with _our _sacred Sun Warrior treasures and go unpunished?"

Aang piped up, "Actually, Chief, we aren't at all thieves. My name is Aang, and I'm the Avatar. My friend and I came here in hopes of learning more about firebending."

A thinner man came over to the chief, the golden egg held tightly against his chest. He was obviously the Chief's right hand man. "Don't believe them for a second, Chief. I can see the malice in their eyes."

Aang sat there with a goofy looking smile and innocent eyes. Azula looked like she'd rather be dead than be licked by the strange animal beside her. "Look, I'm Princess Azula of the Fire Nation, or at least I once was. I have all the gold a girl could want. Do you think I would really sink as low as taking treasures from my ancestors? My only interest lies in expanding my knowledge of firebending, and of a culture I never thought I'd see. Surely you will allow us this small request?" Oh, did she have a way with words.

"Very well. We will permit you to see the masters Ran and Shaw. Should they deem you worthy, they will give you all the information that you seek. Should they not... well then you will be incinerated on the spot."

Azula felt the anteater sloth's tongue dip into her ear, and it took everything in her willpower not to voice her disgust. Her previous prediction was spot on. Today had been a long day. Unfortunately for her it was far from over.


End file.
